The new standard V6 beats the four-cylinder with more power than the old model.
Although complete details on the 2020 Nissan Frontier remain sparse, the company did divulge the midsize pickup’s fuel economy in an exclusive interview with Motor1.com. As the automaker expected, numbers improved almost entirely across the board relative to the 2019 truck. Equipped with the new-for-2020 3.8-liter V6 and nine-speed automatic transmission, the 2020 Nissan Frontier 4×2 will get 18 city / 24 highway / 20 combined mpg, while the 4×4 will get 17 city / 23 highway / 19 combined mpg.
The most impressive thing about the Frontier’s new standard V6 is that it beats the base four-cylinder model in almost all fuel economy metrics. An inline-four with a five-speed manual and two-wheel drive paired with the most efficient truck achieved 19/23/21 mpg. Curiously, while its highway numbers improved and their city numbers remained the same; the new truck still achieves a 1-mpg deficit during combined testing.
The 2020 Nissan Frontier’s other variants have a better combined fuel economy ranking than the 2019 trucks. Comparatively, the Frontier 4×2 got 16 / 23/ 19 mpg using the -powered 4.0-liter V6 with a five-speed manual transmission, while the Frontier4x4 only got 15 / 21/17 mpg when equipped with the V6 with an autobox.
The 2020 Frontier is comparable to mid-sized competitors in terms of fuel economy, with V6 engines and automatic transmissions. The Ford Ranger is still a gas-powered vehicle, but it achieves a significantly higher efficiency due to its turbo four-cylinder engine and 10-speed auto transmission. The Chevrolet Colorado diesel still holds the overall efficiency title, with 23 mpg in 4×2 and 22 when it is 4×4.
A manual transmission will not be offered on the 2020 Frontier truck. It won’t return to the Frontier when it is redesigned for 2021, as was expected with a modernized powertrain. Melaina Vasko is the vehicle performance development manager at Nissan’s fullsize, midsize trucks, and full-size SUV. She said that the Frontier had a manual transmission take rate of only five percent. The 2020 Nissan Titan as well as the TitanXD, the company streamlines its variants in order to appeal to more core customers. This will likely reduce development and production costs.
Vasko didn’t give any details about the 2021 Nissan Frontier. However, she did state that the next-generation midsize truck would be more efficient. The truck will benefit from lighter materials and improved aerodynamics. This follows the lead of full-size pickups such as the Ford F-150 or the Chevrolet Silverado 1500.